Uganda deports two Rwandan fugitives

Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday, received two fugitives who had escaped prison and fled to Uganda. The two are Boniface Ndimubanzi, 58, a genocide convict and Valens Ndikuryayo, 31, who was convicted for forgery and deceit. Uganda Police Force arrested them following an Interpol arrest warrant issued by Rwanda, and handed them to Rwanda at Gatuna border.

Ndimubanzi was handed a life sentence in 2009 by a Gacaca court in Tovu Village Kiyombe Sector of Nyagatare district. He was accused of genocide related crimes he committed in former Murambi commune, currently Gatsibo District. He escaped Nsinda prison in February 2012 after serving three years. He was arrested in Kyankwanzi in Kiboga District where he was apparently working as a casual laborer.

Ndikuryayo, on the other hand, who had been convicted for forging land titles through which he defrauded people in Kimironko Sector of Gasabo District, was arrested in Mubende District where he had since settled.

RNP spokesperson, ACP Theos Badege, said that following their escape, a notice was issued by Interpol Kigali through the I-24/7 communication tool, which connects all the 190 Interpol member countries. He lauded the act by their counterparts in Uganda adding that “it materializes the existing cooperation between the two countries and respective police forces.”

The deportation comes two days before a bilateral meeting between the RNP and Uganda Police Force to be held in Kigali. It will mainly focus on strengthening the already existing cooperation in various areas of policing, and fighting cross-border crimes in particular.

Steps ahead: According to the lawyer, Ndimubanzi has to restart his penalty. Regarding Ndikuryayo, he will face judgment and provisions of the Penal code in articles 609 about forging and 610 about using forged documents will be applied. Article 609 says “Any person who forges or alters documents …..Shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five (5) years to seven (7) years and a fine of three hundred thousand (300,000) to three million (3,000,000) Rwandan francs”. The same penalty will be imposed to the user (art. 610).